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Interview

New York City is home to 19,378,102 citizens. Teenagers count for less than 3 percent of that population. Growing up in a city makes you in the minority among the teenage population of the U.S, but growing up in the city put you in the less than 1% demographic. I caught up with my friend, Taylor Panagakis to get her opinion on growing up in the big apple.

New York City has been Taylors home  since the day she was born and she's definitely a city girl. I started off our Interview by asking Taylor what she loves about New York. “My favorite thing is the people. I feel like most people talk about the fact that there's always something going on in the city but when you live here full time you're not always looking for something to do. It doesn't matter what I’m doing, people are always headed somewhere doing something. People watching is definitely my favorite thing.” Compared to the suburbs, she's certainly right. Taking a step outside taylors building, you see people hopping on city bikes walking there dogs, running or maybe yelling on their cellphones.

Unlike the street that I grew up on, Taylor barely recognizes anyone as we walk up toward the subway. “Do you feel like you missed out anything?” I asked. “Oh definitely,” she began her response quickly. “I mean my school had no football team, there's no local Ice cream shop my friends work at and I was exposed to a lot of things at an early age.”

“I definitely gained a lot though from growing up in the city. I feel like I have a very open mind and I would credit a lot of that to the diversity of my home. Not to say people from the suburbs are racists and no not even saying this involves race, I just feel like I have meet such a variety of people growing up and that has definitely been beneficial.”

It was clear that Taylor loved the city alot so I asked her about college was she excited to move out of the city, did she think she would ever move back. “I can't wait for college!” was her immediate response. She continued and said “ I mean i'm going to miss my friends just like every other teenager but living in the city is pretty fast paced and I think i'll enjoy living somewhere a little more relaxed.” Taylor plans on attending Holy Cross college. “After college, I think someday I will move back to New York but i’d like to travel a lot before I come back.”

Taylor (right) and Me Last Christmas

Whether you live in a small suburban town or a giant city, it seems like almost all teenagrers are looking forward to change in college. Listening to Taylor it's clear she is grateful for having such a unique childhood but did note at the end of our interview she would not raise a family in the city.

The New Front Row

   The New Front Row- Fashion Month 2016

When one thinks of the fashion industry, a few words that come to mind are pretentious and unwelcoming, but thanks to an uprise in influence for new age bloggers and public figures, all of that is changing. In an article titled Ciao Milano!, Vogue.com editors discoss the triumphs and failures of Milan fashion week. One editor commented, “Note to bloggers who change head-to-toe, paid-to-wear outfits every hour: Please stop. Find another business. You are heralding the death of style.” This “note” would not go unnoted by the hundreds of successful fashion bloggers that are attending every show more frequently now than ever in the front row.

One blogger, Shea Marie was quick to respond the Vogue article with a thoughtfully written post on Instagram.  She argues, “I’m sorry if you can't accept that what a public figure wears on the street is undoubtedly more influential than your post-fashion week column. The numbers stand for Shea whose instagram alone has 1 million followers and receives an average of 20,o00 likes a photo. Fans want autographs and pictures of the peaceloveshea.com owner and are willing to buy anything she wears directly from an instagram link. Editors these days are rightfully frustrated with their diminishing power and influence but should rather be learning from these bloggers than hating them. The term A-listers and Influencer, is beginning to change in meaning and while not all can agree on who fits this description, fashion houses are certainly making a statement on who they think they are. At the Dolce and Gabbana, spring 2017 ready to wear show, the front row was made up of mostly millennial “instagram stars”  which to a Vogue editor's opinions, were barely recognizable.

One might ask who it is that finds them unrecognizable, the office bound magazine editor or twenty year old style watcher? The fashion world is changing and with it, the typical front row. While fashion editors used to rule the front row they now battle bloggers for power and a seat. There is no question that Editors play a crucial role in the fashion industry and there will always be a place for them, however not accepting change will get them nothing but negative attention. Negative attention from loyal fans of the blogs they are bashing. Traditions are being broken, the fashion industry is getting a more welcoming reputation, and industry leaders should be thanking bloggers rather than resenting them.

Spring Summer 2016/17 runway shows are the beginning of a fashion revolution. Expect to see more bloggers and “insta-stars” in the years to come. Shea Marie is just one example of the hundred of bloggers who have captioned the attention and hearts of millennials. The blogger epidemic is unlike any other, never before have industry leaders seen such attention facing their work. While not all of this is to be credited to bloggers and much to be given to the work of Anna Wintour, bloggers have a positive impact and it's about time editors recognize it.

 Does Fashion Qualify as Art?

Fashion designers are artists, so why won't most of the world accept their work as art? An article from fashionista.com highlights the best 50 fashion exhibits of the summer, yet some would argue that the works don't belong in even one muesame. I wonder then, what are the qualifications for a defined piece of art. Hours of sketching, countless beading, embroidery and draping, not to mention the master skills one must have to actually construct a piece, all seem like the groundworks of creating an art piece to me.

             

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened the first fashion exhibition in 1983 showcasing the works of Yves Saint Laurent. Since then the MET as set a wing specifically for fashion exhibits, named after the current editor and chief of american vogue, Anna Wintour. Anna specifically has worked hard throughout her career to change views on fashion. In both documentaries, The September Issue, the story of publishing Vogues most purchased magazine of the year and  The First Monday in May, the story of putting together the spring exhibit in the costume institute, Anna addresses the dated views on fashion.

Not long after their success at the MET, fashion exhibits began popping up across the globe. Advances in technology have made many more interested in fashion than ever in our history. Having a love for fashion myself, I have tried attend as many shows as possible. This magic of such complex designs by artists from Christian Dior to John Galliano in one room is truly amazing. Whether you can tell every creative director in each fashion house or don't even know who or what Channel is, the breath taking works from decades past and present can be appreciated by all. To me, fashion is further than art, fashion is an experience. I think seeing dresses made for royals or celebrities 100-1000 years ago gives you a better connection to their life or an experience than the short blurb underneath will. Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. For all of those who question whether fashion is art, I urge you to attend a show with an open mind and feel the “emotional power,” the designs will give you.